Burger King to roll out Whopperrito nationwide

Burger King to roll out Whopperrito nationwide

The burger chain known for its seemingly off-brand menu items — Chicken Fries, Chicken Rings, Mac N’ Cheetos — is bringing another quirky product to the table: the Whopperrito.

The burger-burrito mashup utilizes the same signature beef patty from the chain’s Whopper burger, but with some added seasoning. The meat is topped with tomatoes, lettuce, onions and pickles as well as a queso sauce, and is wrapped in a flour tortilla.

“We’re infusing classic American fare with Tex-Mex flare,” Alex Macedo, president of Burger King North America, said in a statement. “The Whopperrito is a new interpretation of the Tex-Mex trend in a way that only Burger King restaurants could imagine.”

The Whopperrito made its debut in select restaurants in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas as part of regional tests. It will be rolled out nationwide on Aug.15 and sell for about $2.99.

Macedo noted in June that the company’s Mac N’ Cheetos, mac n’ cheese bites coated in crispy Cheetos dust, would be the chain’s only product launch for the summer. However, lackluster same-store sales for the chain could have prompted Burger King execs to change their tune.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns both Burger King and Tim Hortons, saw same-store sales for the burger chain grow 0.6 percent during the second quarter, lower than analyst expectations of 2.2 percent.

Burger King said it planned to alter its marketing strategy to offer fewer, but “more impactful” product launches.

But new products remain a key way to drive customers into restaurants, especially when restaurants are seeing weak traffic.

“Overall, Restaurant Brands continues to make progress; but with spend tightening and competition intensifying, it now needs to up the pace of innovation if it is to grow further,” Neil Saunders, CEO of Conlumino, said earlier this month.